Hand-wheel for automobiles.



H.c. CLEVE. HAND WHEEL FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 30, l9l4.

1,142,307. y ,Patented June 8, E15.'

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lWITNESSES INVENTOR HENRY C. CLEVE, WASHINGTON, DISTRICT COLUMBIA.

HAND-WHEEL non, AUTOMOBILES.

Specica'ton of Letters Patent.

Patented June s, 1915.

-Application filed October 30, 1914. Serial No. 869,423.

To au 'whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, HENRY, C. CLEVE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented new and useful Improvements in I'Iand-Vheels for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

"L This invention relates to motor vehicles,

:and more particularly to a hand or steering Iwheel therefor.y

'When running an automobile, the operator is obliged to have his hands constantly applied .to the steering wheel, and by reason of the continual jarring of the car in passingover the road,'vibratory movements are set up which are transmitted to the hand wheel and make the holding of the wheel very tiresome, especially on long trips. This vibratory action is also accentuated by the fact that the hand wheel is carried by a long, unsupported shaft.

The principal object of my invention is to provide means for absorbing vibratory movement transmitted to the hand wheel, in other words, to provide a non-vibratory hand wheel.

In thel accompanying drawing; Figure 1 is a plan View, partly in section, of an automobile hand wheel,-with my improvement applied thereto; Fig. 2 a central vertical `section thereof; Fig. 3 a central vertical seztion of the split collar employed in the above construction; Fig. 4 a fragmentary 4 I a n u plan view, partly 1n section, showing a modiication of the means for permitting relative movement of the hand wheel spokes with respect to the rim; Fig. 5 a vertical section thereof; Fig. 6 a vertical section of a hand wheel spoke, showing a modified arrangement whereby the tension .ofy the spoke spring may be adjusted; 'and Fig. 7 a face view of one of the rim clips employed in the ,construction shown in.Figs. v1 and 2.

According to a preferred form of my invention, the hand wheel rim, instead of loeing connected to the shaft by rigid spokes, in the usual way, has yielding resistances, such as coil, springs, interposed ybetween the rim and the shaft, so that vibratory movements of the shaft are absorbed by the springs and are not transmitted: to the rim.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the draw- -near the outer end with a squared portio upon which is mounted a yoke 3 havi parallel faces adapted to slide on corresponding. faces of the squared portion 2 and adjacent faces yformed of opposite inclines, so as to permit a rocking movement of the yoke on the squared portion in one direction. Extending from opposite sides of the yoke 3 are trunnions 4 adapted to reciprocate within corresponding sleeves 5 forming spokes of the han'd wheel.- sleeves 5 as ywell as sleeves 6 forming the other spokes of the hand wheel are secured in position by means of a split collar 7 having apertures 8 for the reception of the inner ends of the sleeves and provided with a central opening 9 for the yoke 3, which Vis of sufficient size to permit relative move# ment of the yoke within the collar. Secured to the outer end of each sleeve 5 is a guide piece 10 having a fiat end adapted to` move laterally .in a slot 11 formed in aclip 12 adapted to be secured to the rim 13 of the' wheel. Between the adjacent ends of the piece l0 and the trunnion 4 a coil spring 14 is interposed which is adapted to take up lateral movement ofthe trunnion 4 within the sleeve. Within each sleeve 6 of the other wheel .spokes is mounted a sliding pin 15 having a clip portion 16 adapted to be secured to the wheel rim 13 and a spring 17 is interposed between the inner end of the pin 15 and a plug 18 at the inner end of the sleeve. Below the yoke 3, a collar 19 is secured to the shaft 1 and is provided with a plurality of recesses 2O for coil springs 21. Normally, there is a clearance spacel 22 between the wheel and thetop face of the collar 19 and the springs 21 extend yout so as to en age the under face of the The i means of a nut 24 applied to the end ofthe sleeves 6 and the sliding pins 15 are inserted. After inserting the springs 14 With-v inthe sleeves 5, the pieces 10 are secured to Vthe ends of the sleeves, with the flat portion arranged in the plane vof the Wheel. In order to apply to the rim 13, the clips 12 are placed on the flat portion of the pieces 10 land are held inwardly .u'ntil the' rim is lin position and then the clips are moved outwardly to the rim, on which they are secured by screws. The sliding pins `15 are pressed inwardly against the springs 17, so that the rim 18 can be sprung into position, after which-the clips 16` are screwedto the rim.

The yoke 3 is now slipped over the squared end ofshaft 1 and is held in position by shaft. In order to permit a rocking movement of the wheel, Washers 25 and 26 may be interposed between the wheel and thenut Y shaft in one direction are absorbed by movement of the yoke'3 and the trunnions 4 against the springs 14, while lateral vibrations yat right angles tothe above are absorbedrby movement of the sliding pins 15 against the springs 17. In this case, since the entire spoke mechanism takes such vibrations, provision is made for the yfree movement of the sleeves 5 by permitting lateral play Vof -the iat ends of the pieces 10 within the slots 11. Longitudinal vibrations of the shaft are absorbed by the springs 21 anda' rocking tendency Vof the shaft is'permitted by the construction of the yoke B'so that'the same can rock on the squared end of the shaft.

In Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawing, a slightly modified arrangement is shown for permitting relative movement of the sleeves, in which the sleeve 5 is provided at the outer end with a 'cylindrical bearing face adapted to slide laterally on a corresponding face of the clip 12.

In order to provide uniformity in the action of the springs in the sleeves, without necessity of making same exactly alike, I may insert a plug 27 within the sleeve and longitudinally slot the sleeve for the reception of a screw 28 having screw threaded en'- gagement With'- the plug, preferably placing a washer 29 between the sleeve and the head of the screw. .The plug 27 is adjusted so as to bear against the end of the spring as desired and then'the screw 28 is tightened, to

" hold the plug in place. Ihe springs in the sleeves may be placedrunder initial compression if deemed necessary, by varying the Y length of the springs and suitably adjusting same. Y

Having now described my invention, what Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letn ters Patent, is Y 1. The combination with a steering shaft for a motor vehicle,.of aA hand Wheel for operating said shaft, comprising a rim, a yoke mounted onI the shaft and provided with trunnions, sleeves forming spokes of the wheel and connected to the rim Yto-permit relative lateral movement and containing said trunnions, and springs mounted in said sleeves for resisting lateral movement of the trunnions. Y

2. The combination With a steering shaft for a motor. vehicle and a hand Wheel for operating said shaft, of a yoke mounted on the shaft and rotatable' therewith, sleeves forming spokes ofthe WheeLKtrunnions-carried by said yoke and slidable in said sleeves, springs for resisting movement of the trunnions, other sleeves forming spokes at right angles to the first mentioned sleeves, ins

secured to the rim of the Wheel and slida-n ble in said sleeves, and springs for resisting movement of said pins 1n the sleeves.

3. The combination with a steering shaft for amotor vehicle, of a hand wheel for operating said 'shaft comprising a rim, a collar surrounding saidjshaft, radial sleeves secured to said collar and forming wheel spokes, a 'yoke' secured to the shaft and having oppositely extending trunnions slidable' i.

1n one pair 'of sleeves, pins'secured to the" rim and slidable in another pair of sleeves disposed at right angles to the first pair and a' slidable connection between the first pair ofsleeves andthe lrim to permit lateral movementjofsaid sleeves. v

4. The combination with a steering shaft for a motor vehicle having a key shaped end, of a hand wheel'adapted to be applied to said end andslidable longitudinally thereon, a collar secured to said shaft and springs carried by said collar for opposing longitudinal movement of the shaft relative to the Wheel. j

5. The combination with a steering shaft for motor vehicles, of-a hand wheel for operating said shaft-comprising a rim, a yoke v sleeves secured to the hub and forming Cil- Aspokes, pins secured to the rim and movable within the sleeves, other sleeves forming spokes and sldable Within the hub, and trunnons carried by the shaft and movable within the last mentioned sleeves.

In testimony 'whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HENRY C. CLEVE. Witnesses:

HENRY W. OFFUTT, R. H. CHARLES. a 

